The Good Guys
by takethetardis97
Summary: When Walt finally accepts Jesse's offers to have a beer, he finds one of his partner's comic books. Through reading this, he realizes how Jesse justifies what they do. Set around Season 3.


Walt sat silently while Jesse drove the car. They were just coming back from a long, arduous work day at the lab. Jesse had driven them that day, seeing as Walt's car was in the shop and he didn't exactly have any other options. The ride home had been quiet, to the older man's delight. Soon enough, though, he realized Jesse had made the wrong turn; the young man was going in the direction of his own house rather than Walter's.

"Jesse," he sighed irritably, quickly growing frustrated at his scatterbrained partner, "My house is in the other direction." Jesse nonchalantly continued on, barely reacting to Walt's bitter remark.

"I know," he said calmly, with his eyes still on the dimly-lit street. He turned a little to his partner, smiling slightly. "Have a beer with me, Mr. White."

Walter groaned. This again? He noticed that lately, Jesse had often been suggesting that they do stuff together. Walt almost always refused; the growing suspicion of his family made him reluctant to spend any unnecessary time away from home. Not to mention, go-carting with his wannabe-gangster of a partner wasn't exactly his idea of a good time.

"Jesse…" he warned, angered that this time, his partner hadn't even asked before dragging him out of his way. From Walter's threatening tone, Jesse knew exactly what he was going to say. It was what the old buzzkill always said.

"Yeah, yeah, I know you're afraid of your psycho-bitch wife or whatever," the younger man murmured, and Walter bit back a retaliation, "But hey, it's already hella late. Who's it gonna hurt if you spend some time hanging out? It'll be like, thirty minutes tops." Walter sighed, and Jesse continued driving with his blue eyes shifting between the road and the man in his passenger seat. "Come on, Mr. White," he whined, and the older man rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I'll have a beer with you," Walter grumbled, "But like you said, thirty minutes tops." He did realize how many times he'd turned Jesse down on his offers, so he figured he'd throw the kid a bone this time around. Admittedly, it did make him feel good when he saw the subtle excitement spread across Jesse's face. The young man kept his cool nonetheless.

"Sweet," he replied with a half-smile. At this point, the red, rusty car was already advancing down Jesse's neighborhood, and the two men said nothing else as they approached his house. Soon enough, the kid slowly pulled into his driveway. Walter waited for Jesse to exit the car before he too stepped out, and he followed his young partner through the front door. Immediately, Walt could see that the place was a mess. He was relieved that there were no drugs in sight, however, but the place still seemed inhospitable. Jesse didn't seem to have much by means of furniture, and what he did have was old and dingy. Jesse began to frantically pick up stray articles of clothing that were scattered about.

"Sorry 'bout the mess, Mr. White," he chuckled, "If I had known I'd convince your crazy ass to come over, I would have made the place a bit more presentable." Walter ignored the boy's joke, taking a seat on the red couch with an austere expression on his face. He was just humoring Jesse at this point, waiting for the kid to tell him he could leave. When Jesse finished picking up, he sensed this.

"I'll go get the beers," he began, handing Walter the TV remote, "You can turn it on to whatever, I guess." Walt stared at the remote as Jesse left for the kitchen. He flipped the TV on, leaving it on the first thing that popped up._ Of course it was the Discovery Channel_, he thought, chuckling inwardly. As much as that kid loved the Discovery channel, Walter never pictured Pinkman as one who enjoyed learning.

Soon, he realized there was a lot he didn't know about Jesse. For example, out of the corner of his eye, Walt could see a small sketchpad opened haphazardly on the small table. He turned to it, picking it up and flipping through it. He soon realized that it was a comic book story, and a damn good one at that. The sketches were so detailed and elegant, and Walter couldn't believe that something so brilliant came from none other than Jesse Pinkman. While the fact that Jesse wasted his time drawing comics struck him as a bit childish, Walt suddenly realized that Jesse had far more depth than he'd ever given him credit for. Walt believed this more and more as he skimmed through the comic.

The story followed some cheesy hero by the name of Rewindo. Jesse didn't come out and say it in writing, but it was obvious to Walt that the kid based the protagonist off of himself. Rewindo travelled with a raven-haired partner by the name of 'Apology girl.' _Such an odd name for a superhero, _Walt thought to himself, but he noticed with sorrow that the beautiful heroine represented Jesse's girlfriend, Jane. Walt uncomfortably tried to flip forward, but her haunting face was in nearly every frame.

Walt stopped tossing through the pages when he saw his own face appear in the drawings. Straightening his glasses, he studied the illustration. The man on the pages looked like him, but seemed more cunning and assertive. As Jesse would put it, cartoon-Walt was more "badass." Walter delved into the story at this point, intrigued by his presence in Jesse's comic. As fascinated as he was to read, though, he suddenly felt uneasy. He felt as though he were reading someone's diary.

It amazed Walt how glorified his character was in the comic. Jesse revealed an emotional backstory for the hero, explaining how the brilliant man fought crime for the sake of his family. His character was brilliant, quick on his feet, and unquestionably kindhearted. Walt suddenly began to question if the man was actually based on him.

Walt managed to reposition the comic book on the table right before Jesse reentered the room. The kid carrying the beers laughed, staring at the TV screen eagerly.

"All right, the Discovery Channel!" he said with his eyes glued to the TV, "Good choice, Mr. White." He handed Walter one of the beers and sat down, clearly distracted by the television. As he sat by his partner, Walt found himself studying the man beside him more than the program on the screen. The words Jesse had said just a few short months ago echoed through Walt's head.

"_I'm the bad guy."_

Jesse's realization had torn Walter apart at the time. He was no stranger to morally grey, but Walt, unlike Jesse, never saw himself as a villain. On that same note, he never considered himself a hero, either. Walt did what was best, whether it be for his family, for his business, or for Jesse. He assumed Jesse made the same rationalization, but when the kid admitted his true feelings, Walter knew he was mistaken. He realized that his young partner needed to look at things simply: black and white, good and bad. By doing this, he didn't have to question his actions so much. If he accepts that he is the bad guy, he can accept any penalty that comes his way.

Still, Walter is confused by Jesse's realization, especially after reading the kid's sketchbook. In Jesse's comic, the two of them were drawn as heroes. Of course, minor details in the story had changed, but Jesse rooted for their characters every step of the way. This seemed to be Jesse's way of alleviating any regrets; he tried to convince himself that they were just misunderstood men who'd been kicked around by the rest of the world. He tried to convince himself that every one of Walt's decisions was made with the best intentions. He made himself believe that, if Walt was around, they could get themselves out of any predicament. They could do no wrong.

They were the good guys.


End file.
